Children's Home run by Parallel Parents Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 1 Registered provider: Parallel Parents Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

A large national provider of children's services operates this home, which is situated in a rural location. It is registered to provide care for up to 8 children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 6 children were living in the home, and the inspector spoke with all children.

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Information about this children's home

There is a registered school attached to the home. This is registered separately and was not inspected as part of this inspection.

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Information about this children's home

There has been no registered manager since November 2025.

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Information about this children's home

A new manager has been in post since November 2025 and has applied to be registered with Ofsted. They are working towards a level 5 leadership and management qualification in residential care. The manager was not present for this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 16 December 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/12/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 3

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improvement to be good

Children's experiences of living in the home are mixed. While most children have positive day ‑ to ‑ day experiences, 2 children were exposed to harm in the community due to poor staff supervision. This incident has had a negative impact on their overall experience of living in the home. These shortfalls in practice contribute to the judgement in overall experience and progress of children and young people.

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improvement to be good

Children's moves into and out of the home are managed well. Staff meet with children prior to moving in and spend time getting to know them. This reduces children's anxieties and helps them to feel welcomed into their new home. Children are supported by staff to prepare for their planned moves from the home. For example, 2 children are spending increasing amounts of time with family members, with plans in place for them to return to live with them.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between staff and children are positive. Children speak positively about staff who care for them. They can identify trusted adults to discuss any worries or concerns they have. This supports their emotional wellbeing and strengthens their ability to manage situations they may find difficult.

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improvement to be good

Staff speak with pride about the children and the progress they have made since living in the home. They place an importance on ensuring that children's voices are heard. For example, children are encouraged to review their own progress and work towards personalised wish lists they have created.

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improvement to be good

Children's health needs are well met. They are encouraged to eat healthily and to take part in regular exercise, such as football events and bike riding. This helps them to develop positive daily routines that promote their physical health and wellbeing. Staff worked closely with health professionals for one child to review their sleep routines. As a result, there has been a noticeable improvement in their sleep pattern.

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improvement to be good

Staff work well with children's families and support children to keep in touch with people who are important to them. They arrange for them to speak with family members regularly and help plan activities for them to enjoy together. One family member said, 'Staff are great, they are friendly and I appreciate everything they do.'

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improvement to be good

There have been 3 occasions where a staff member failed to protect 2 children from harming each other. These incidents occurred because staff do not have sufficient guidance and understanding of the safe supervision of children when in the community. Managers have appropriately escalated these concerns and through reflection have Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 4 identified learning that now informs current practice. However, managers have not fully assessed or acted on additional practice concerns that emerged during the investigation.

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improvement to be good

When physical intervention is required, it is used as a last resort to keep staff and children safe. All incidents involving physical intervention are reviewed by a manager. Opportunities are provided to children and staff to talk about incidents, reflect and learn from them.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote positive behaviour effectively. They use individualised incentive reward charts to celebrate children's achievements and to help encourage positive behaviour. Additionally, staff talk with children about their feelings and help them to identify coping strategies when they are struggling to manage their emotions or behaviour.

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improvement to be good

When incidents occur between children, staff respond quickly to de-escalate these. Children are encouraged to speak with each other and complete restorative work. This helps to strengthen and repair children's relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff talk with children about online safety. They use child-friendly resources such as videos and worksheets. This helps increase children's knowledge and helps them to make safer choices.

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improvement to be good

Children going missing from home is rare. There has been a significant reduction in missing-from-care incidents for 3 children since moving into the home. When one child was not where they were supposed to be, staff looked for them and worked with other professionals to ensure the child's safe return.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring systems are not always effective. Managers do not ensure that staff receive inductions that are effective and help them to fully understand their role and expectations around the supervision of children. Although managers have made improvements to the induction programme, these are not yet embedded into practice. Furthermore, damage to children's bathroom furnishings has not been identified by the manager. This does not create a relaxing space for children to complete their personal hygiene routines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They respond quickly when there are concerns about children's safety. For example, the supervision of children increased for 2 children immediately after they disclosed harm when spending time in the community unsupervised. Arrangements for all children spending time in the community were reviewed to ensure that risks are managed effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has a stable, experienced staff team that enjoys working in the home and feels supported by managers and each other. One staff member said, 'We have a great dynamic staff team, and I always feel supported by management.' Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 5 Regular, effective supervision and appraisals take place with staff. These support them to reflect on their practice, review their performance and identify any areas for development. Additionally, monthly team meetings are used to have open discussions about children and deliver training in specific areas, such as safeguarding procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Most professionals are positive about the care children receive. One social worker said, 'I've seen a lot of warmth from staff, even though it's a busy house, you can see the individual care and attention each child receives.' Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards'. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff understand children's risks and use their understanding to make decisions that keep children safe. Staff must supervise children in line with the child's individual care plan. Furthermore, the registered manager must ensure that new information gathered as part of an investigation is considered and, where necessary, takes appropriate action. 4 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that— 4 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all areas of the home are considered in the monitoring process and damaged furniture in bathrooms is replaced without delay. Furthermore, they should ensure that staff inductions support them to understand children's risk and supervision arrangements.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards'. Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Parallel Parents Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Heaviley, Stockport, England SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Kirsty Truesdale, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2765214 9 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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